The core of EDA is a shared, unified infrastructure supporting secure end-to-end communication:

• Security: Strong and end-to-end encryption and authentication at three different layers helps keep eavesdropping third parties out of the loop.
• Standardisation: EDA has defined clear rules for three aspects of B2B integration: XML document formats, business processes, and the communication protocol. Messaging-related standards are, among other things:
  • Channel authentication based on TSL, document authentication using persistent PKCS#7 electronic signatures and XML signatures. Encryption at TSL layer as well as at document layer (end-to-end using AES265). Ponton X/P persistent signatures can be verified at a later point in time.
  • AS4 messaging protocol with standardised features such as retry intervals, numbers of retry, duplicate elimination, PKI integration between CA and Ponton X/P, standardised failure handling, standardised identification of participants, processes, and messages, signed acknowledgements, etc.
  • Standardised XML schemas with additional business rules and automatic validation by Ponton X/P.
• Flexibility: Connection effort is minimised for new market participants, regardless of size.
• Efficiency: Ponton has granted a sector-wide license to EDA for the entire EDA consortium. This is sublicensed to hundreds of organisations allowing for minimised adaptation cost. As sector-wide support is provided by Ponton. Any issues – which usually involved both sender and receiver – can be uniformly handled by Ponton. Total support cost is shared across the sector using a fair price differentiation.
• Performance: Despite the high level of end-to-end security, hundreds of thousands of ebXML messages are routed every day within seconds.
• Extensibility: After having started in 2013 with the supplier switching process, EDA users roll out additional functions on a short-term basis: meter data exchange (MSCONS format) was rolled-out in Summer 2014, exchange of electronic invoices and nominations started in 2014 as well. Since then, customer-centric processes have been added (CCM – Customer Consent Management, Management of Energy Communities, etc.). Any additional XML schemas can be easily added to the Ponton X/P validation function. Also non-XML document types (such as MSCONS Edifact formats) are signed, encrypted and routed to the receiver in the same way.
• Openness: Third-party vendors with ebMS 2.0 compliant messaging tools can adapt to EDA as infrastructure users.
• Connection to non-EDA services: If connection to third party services is required, the EDA infrastructure is extended by a dedicated gateway. Connection cost is shared by the EDA participants.

The integration effort has been minimised by applying the above measures among EDA participants.